Earned Income Credit _EIC_ FORM

You must hand the notice directly to the employee or send it by First-Class Mail to the employee’s last known address. You will not meet the notification requirements by posting Notice 797 on an employee bulletin board or sending it through office mail. However, you may want to post the notice to help inform all employees of the EIC. You can get copies of the notice from the IRS website at www.irs.gov or by calling 1-800-829-3676. Notice 1015 (Rev. December 2007) What Is the EIC? ● A substitute Form W-2 with the same EIC information on the back of the employee’s copy that is on Copy B of the IRS Form W-2. If you are required to give Form W-2 and do so on time, no further notice is necessary if the Form W-2 has the required information about the EIC on the back of the employee’s copy. If a substitute Form W-2 is given on time but does not have the required information, you must notify the employee within 1 week of the date the substitute Form W-2 is given. If Form W-2 is required but is not given on time, you must give the employee Notice 797 or your written statement by the date Form W-2 is required to be given. If Form W-2 is not required, you must notify the employee by February 7, 2008. Have You Told Your Employees About the Earned Income Credit (EIC)? Which Employees Must I Notify About the EIC? You must notify each employee who worked for you at any time during the year and from whom you did not withhold income tax. However, you do not have to notify any employee who claimed exemption from withholding on Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate. ● The IRS Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, which has the required information about the EIC on the back of Copy B. ● Notice 797, Possible Federal Tax Refund Due to the Earned Income Credit (EIC). ● Your written statement with the same wording as Notice 797. How and When Must I Notify My Employees? You must give the employee one of the following: Note. You are encouraged to notify each employee whose wages for 2007 are less than $39,783 that he or she may be eligible for the EIC. The EIC is a refundable tax credit for certain workers. Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service How Will My Employees Know If They Can Claim the EIC? The basic requirements are covered in Notice 797. For more detailed information, the employee needs to see the 2007 instructions for Form 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, or Pub. 596, Earned Income Credit (EIC). How Do My Employees Claim the EIC? Eligible employees claim the EIC on their 2007 tax return. Even employees who have no tax withheld from their pay or owe no tax can claim the EIC and get a refund, but they must file a tax return to do so. For example, if an employee has no tax withheld in 2007 and owes no tax but is eligible for a credit of $825, he or she must file a 2007 tax return to get the $825 refund. How Do My Employees Get Advance EIC Payments? Eligible employees who expect to have a qualifying child for 2008 can get part of the credit with their pay during the year by giving you a completed Form W-5, Earned Income Credit Advance Payment Certificate. You must include advance EIC payments with wages paid to these employees, but the payments are not wages and are not subject to payroll taxes. Generally, the payments are made from withheld income, social security, and Medicare taxes. For details, see Pub. 15 (Circular E), Employer’s Tax Guide. Cat. No. 20599I Notice 1015 (Rev. 12-2007)